Jacob Two-Two and the Perilous Pestilence
by awesomebug586
Summary: Simple oneshot. When one of Jacob's best friends falls gravely ill, he tries his best to be there for them. Collab with me and VJR22 6 on AO3


The trio walked down the street, ready for another hopefully tolerable day at Dreary Meadows. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and to Jacob, it felt like a beautiful day, even though most of it would be spent inside a building that was less than beautiful. "So then, my dad and I had to go to the store so we could buy some rat traps for the totally grody rat infestation!"Work Text:The trio walked down the street, ready for another hopefully tolerable day at Dreary Meadows. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and to Jacob, it felt like a beautiful day, even though most of it would be spent inside a building that was less than beautiful. "So then, my dad and I had to go to the store so we could buy some rat traps for the totally grody rat infestation!"The trio walked down the street, ready for another hopefully tolerable day at Dreary Meadows. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and to Jacob, it felt like a beautiful day, even though most of it would be spent inside a building that was less than beautiful. "So then, my dad and I had to go to the store so we could buy some rat traps for the totally grody rat infestation!"

The trio walked down the street, ready for another hopefully tolerable day at Dreary Meadows. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and to Jacob, it felt like a beautiful day, even though most of it would be spent inside a building that was less than beautiful. "So then, my dad and I had to go to the store so we could buy some rat traps for the totally grody rat infestation!"

"Zat sounds grody indeed, Jacob. Unfortunately, my day was not _nearly _as interesting. My parents went out on a business trip, again, and I now I have to be looked after by my grandmozer, _again. _What about you, Buford?"

Buford didn't look up from his coat, and instead, continued staring at the snow-covered ground. His breathing was abnormally loud and ragged, inhaling and exhaling. Each exhale blew out smoke-like vapor, and if it wasn't such a concerning sight, Jacob would've thought he looked like a dragon with a cold. After a couple of tense moments, Renee preparing to ask the question again, he muttered something unintelligible, as if it hurt him to speak.

"What was zat, Buford? I couldn't understand a word you said!" Buford looked up, bloodshot eyes squinting as he surveyed his surroundings. Was he sick? Before Jacob could ask his friend if he was alright, Buford repeated himself. "Nothing interesting."

"Are you alright?" Jacob finally asked, wondering if his friend was coming down with a cold of some sort, ironically fitting the 'dragon with a cold' description he made in his mind merely a minute ago. He saw Buford glancing at him, looking peeved, as if he just offended him, however, the latter looked away when their eyes locked. "M'fine. Didn't get enough sleep. Yea."

"You're usually more talkative," Renee commented. "If you're not feeling well, maybe you should go to a doctor."

Jacob saw Buford's eyes immediately widen like she just asked him to kick a puppy or something. "No! I mean, no, I'm fine. Promise."

Renee simply raised her eyebrow at his sudden outburst, as if she didn't believe him one bit. He had lost his ability to lie about being sick, after having refused to go to the dentist for a toothache a while back. However, some people will never learn, and she just had to accept that.

"If you say so, Buford. What's your deal wiz people who work in medical fields anyways? First, it was ze dentist, and now zis. Zere not going to hurt you, you know."

"They might, though." He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "I'm fine, I promise."

"If zey do, zen you sue zem for malpractice. Who doesn't like free money?"

"Me, I-I guess…" Buford weakly muttered, increasing his pace, perhaps because of anxiety. "You know, if I knew you guys were gonna worry about me so much, maybe I should've just stayed home. It is kinda cold out."

"Nonsense, Buford! I zought you were alright?" Renee giggled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I am!" Buford pouted, huffing his chest. "I was just being, you know, sarcastic! Like the whole 'Oooh, people worrying about me? Maybe I should follow their advice!' kinda thing."

Jacob let out a slight smile as he saw his friends bickering as they usually did, nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps Renee and he were too worried, Buford would be okay. A cold was the worst thing he could possibly have, right? Right.

As they continued on their way, the wind picked up, and a chill quickly settled over the previously warm street. Jacob's thoughts began to fill up with doubts as he saw his friend start to shiver slightly. He couldn't help but feel bad for Buford, though he had to let whatever happened, happened. If Buford wanted to be headstrong and ignore his body's cries for help, then he was entitled to doing that.

"You cold?" Jacob asked after they came to a stop. Buford looked over to where the road led back into the city, and let out a heavy side.

"I-I suppose. But we're almost to Dreary Meadows, so I can hold out for a little bit longer."

"Buford!" Renee groaned, flicking hair out of her face. "You can't just keep ignoring your body's needs!"

"I know, but I'm not gonna let a little thing like… like a cold keep me down!"

"Okay, well, you're not going to get any warmer doing zat. What's ze deal wiz men and zeir need to torture zeir bodies?!"

"Well, for your information, Renee, my dad says that strength builds character, so I'm building one heck of a character right now!"

"Didn't your dad also say zat he once ate zree dozen eggs? I'm just saying, Buford, your fazer is not a trustworzy OR reliable source of information!"

Jacob simply rolled his eyes, staring at his winter boots. After debating for a while about what he was going to say, he finally looked up. "Okay, okay, let's stop this. I have to side with Renee on this one, Buford."

Catching a rather murderous glint in Buford's eyes, Jacob gulped, attempting to back up an excuse for why he betrayed his friend just now. "Wait, wait! Before you get mad, let me explain. It's just, she's right, you shouldn't have to suffer longer than you need to. I mean, there's plenty of cold medicine that'll fix you right up!"

Buford's glare softened, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to smile. His friends really did care about him, didn't they? Way more than his old friends ever did. One might assume that before Jacob and Renee, he didn't have any friends, but as much as he hated admitting it, that was a lie. He had 'friends' before, but they weren't really friends, they were more like lying, cheating and conviving scoundrels. They had used him for popularity, and when they were done with him, they threw him under the bus and pretended like he never existed.

Thinking about it again made Buford once again become angry, not at Jacob or anyone else in particular, but himself. He felt responsible for all the wrong things that had happened in the past, and whatever had happened to his friends felt like it was always his fault.

"Thanks, Jacob."

It was strange to hear Buford's voice so quiet. But, before Jacob and Renee could yet again ask their friend if anything was wrong, the traffic light finally flickered green, and the three of them could cross the road.

When they finally reached the school hallway a good five minutes later, Jacob noticed that Buford's condition continued to deteriorate. The boy's steps, while normal just a few minutes prior, was now turning into an odd galt, with his feet constantly dragging. Renee decided she had enough of seeing Buford suffering and spoke up.

"You really ought to go to the nurse's office, Buford. Zat ain't right. I don't zink zis is a 'normal cold'."

In response, Buford let out an odd groan and sat himself down on the ground. He seemed really out of it, and Jacob was wondering whether he should run and fetch the nurse.

Before he could dwell on his thoughts and the possible outcomes of said thoughts any longer, Buford fell unconscious, falling onto the hard and cold floor.

"Oh no, oh no, Buford!" Jacob cried out, running towards his friend as fast as he could, while Renee simply looked at the scene with a look of contempt. "Zat's it! I'm getting the nurse! Jacob, stay with Buford and make sure he doesn't wake up and try to run off or anyzing."

"Okay, Renee," he replied. "I'll stay here, be back soon, please." She turned and left, leaving Jacob alone with the comatose-like Buford.

Buford let out a slight whine, though didn't show any sign of waking up. Jacob began to rub his back in the hopes it might calm his friend down. After what felt like an eternity, Renee appeared with a rather disinterested nurse in tow. "Alright, where he is? I- What the heck happened here?!"

"He passed out." Jacob and Renee simultaneously said.

"Yeesh, that's not good, not good at all." The nurse stated, kneeling next to Buford and checking his pulse.

"Will he be alright?" Jacob asked, watching her check Buford's temperature next. "Well, I don't know kid, to be completely honest with you. I've never seen anything like this before. Shocking, I know. But, he does have a high temperature, so I think our best bet would be to get him to the ER before his condition deteriorates and we're charged with a health and safety fine."

Jacob let out a gasp and Renee put her hand to her mouth. "The ER?! The ER?! But that's where all the really sick people go, right?! Right?!"

"I don't know what to tell you, but he'll be in better hands there. I'll call an ambulance, you two should head to class." The nurse took out a phone and began to dial a number while Jacob glanced at Buford, who was mumbling slightly, despite still being down for the count.

"Well, come on," Renee said, pulling on Jacob's sleeve. "We can see him after school."

Seeing his hesitancy to follow, she sighed. "He'll be fine, Jacob. He's Buford for Pete's sake! He's been zrough far worse."

Taking one last glance, he sighed, relenting. "Alright." He followed Renee to their class, hoping that she was right.

By the time school was over, the sunny skies from earlier that morning were replaced by dark and dreary winter clouds, reflecting the mood that both Jacob and Renee mutually felt. As they walked alongside the sidewalk, the two friends exchanged glances. Renee looked away, while Jacob kept his own eyes fixed on the horizon. It felt extremely weird and off without Buford around to even everything out. They were a trio, after all, not a duo.

"So, do you think Buford'll be okay?" Jacob finally asked, watching Renee fidget with her fingers. If emotions were scents, they'd both reek of nervousness and awkwardness.

"Zat's why we're going to the hospital, no?" She pointed out, kicking some snow to the side. Despite her determined attitude, Jacob could see how torn up Renee really was over this whole situation. "It might be a long while until he's discharged, but we'll be zere for him, won't we?"

"Of course, Renee. Of couse."

By the time they reached the hospital, a slight drizzle had started to come down, amplifying the already depressing mood. When they walked into the hospital lobby, Jacob felt like all his feelings and emotions had amalgamated into one giant mess, making him nauseous.

Stepping up to the receptionist, he tried to introduce himself, while also trying not to vomit. "Hi… I'm Jacob. Jacob Two-Two. And this is Renee."

The receptionist gave him a curt look. "Jacob Two-Two? What an odd name. Well, what may I help you with today, Mr. Two-Two?"

Jacob gave an even deeper inhale, feeling his throat clamp. He tried to speak up, but the words came out as an unintelligible, half-mumble. He tried to focus, trying to imagine what he would say, but it was like trying to remember what he was trying to forget. Sensing his trouble, Renee spoke for him.

"We're here to see a Buford Pugh. He was admitted to ze hospital zis morning. Oh non! What if we have the wrong hospital?!"

The receptionist typed a few buttons. "No, you have the right hospital. Just give me a few minutes and you two can sit in the waiting room. It seems he's not in very good condition right now, so It'd be unwise to let you see him immediately, my apologies."

Jacob shook his head. "No need to apologize, we can wait."

"Alright, you're all checked in, the doctor will speak to you in a bit."

Jacob waved goodbye, walking to a spare chair over by the Waiting Room, as Renee followed him. They'd soon be seeing Buford, and hopefully, he'd be up and happy to see them as well.

After a short wait, a doctor approached the two with a solemn, straight face. Jacob hoped it was just how his face looked, but as the man greeted them, he knew from his voice that it wouldn't be good news.

"How's Buford? How is he?!" Jacob squeaked out.

"I hate to say this, but… well, he's doing terrible." The doctor shook his head, a sympathetic softness in his eyes. "He has pneumonia that worsened when left untreated, especially in this cold weather."

Renee took this in quietly, but Jacob erupted, getting up from his chair in a rush. "Can we see him? He's gonna be okay, right? He's okay now that he's here?"

The doctor looked away as if he had given away his deepest darkest secret. "You see, this infection may be too strong to treat. While he indeed has a greater chance of survival now that he's here, It's not a 100% probability of survival, not even 75%. More of a 50/50 at best."

There was a pause.

"However, you may see him, if you like. Besides, this may be the last time you get to, anyways. He might not last the night."

Jacob felt everything around him break apart. A world without Buford? Without warning he suddenly gripped Renee in a bear hug, tears streaming down his face. While she usually didn't care for hugs and often called it a 'Violation of my personal space', this time was different. Tearing up as well, she full-heartedly hugged Jacob back.

When they finally separated from their hug, Jacob wiped his eyes with his sweater's sleeve. "Heh, sorry Renee," He began, sheepishly. "I forgot you didn't really like hugs."

"When it's uncounted for, zat is! Zis is kind of a different story, we could lose Buford!"

Remembering Buford, Jacob let out a sad sigh, knowing what had to be done. "So, you ready, Renee?

"Sure," the French girl responded. "I'm ready."

As the doctor lead them down the narrow hallway, Jacob began to feel less like a child, and more like a grown-up. He knew he had always wanted to grow up, but not like this. Not like this. Renee held his hand, as a friendly way of telling him that they got this. He desperately wanted to believe her.

"Now, It's important to remember that he probably won't be up, and if he is, by some miracle, he won't be aware. The staff have him under some painkillers, so that if he does… pass away, It'll be painless."

Jacob cringed at the word 'pass away'. Buford should be with Renee and him playing pranks on the bullies, not on what was perhaps his deathbed. It felt like Buford was being punished for something he didn't do! It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair to Buford, it wasn't fair to Jacob, it wasn't fair for anybody!

Finally, after what felt like forever and one minute, they reached Buford's hospital room. Jacob slowly reached for the door handle, and it felt like time had stopped completely. However, he simply couldn't bring himself to pull it open. Renee huffed and grabbed the door handle instead, pulling it open and pushing Jacob in, before coming in herself.

The first thing they saw were two men in white coats, talking to each other in what seemed like a completely different language. Something about a bronchial tube, something about an alveolus. But when Jacob and Renee turned to the right side, the sight made their blood run cold.

There was Buford, lying in a hospital bed, still asleep and looking worse than he ever did before. There was an oxygen mask on his face, which helped him breathe, but not much, as each breath he took sounded more ragged and labored.

Jacob felt his eyes close, waiting for his stomach to let up. He took a few more deep breaths, feeling his stomach drop down and the back of his head throb. Seeing Buford in such an awful state made him feel like he was going to pass out, puke and scream, all at once.

While he managed to hold himself together to not throw up, Renee could not say the same, and she ran over to the nearest garbage. While the sight was disgusting to Jacob, he couldn't blame her.

"You okay?" He asked, putting a hand on her back.

Wiping the leftover throw up from her mouth, Renee let out a tired pant. "I… I zink so."

The two looked back over at Buford's suffering form, feeling less and less nauseous and more and more sad and sympathetic by the second. Renee glanced at Jacob, "What do we do? Especially if ze doctor's right and you know…"

Jacob thought for a second, what COULD he do? What could he tell his best friend that he hasn't told him a thousand times beforehand? Buford wasn't even awake, so it wasn't like he'd hear any of it, or if he did, he was under heavy painkillers, so it wasn't like he could really understand anything being said.

"I have an idea," Renee said, voice calm as ever. "You stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?"

Before Jacob could object, she was gone, leaving him alone with Buford, who was slightly whimpering in his painkiller-induced sleep. As he sat there, waiting, he decided to try to talk to his friend, even if he couldn't hear or understand him. "Hey, buddy. It's alright, alright? I know you probably feel worse than you ever have before, but, but you're gonna tough this out and come back stronger than ever!"

Jacob felt a fresh set of tears as he finished his little 'pep talk', but before he could start crying again, the door opened and Renee walked in, holding a small teddy bear in her hands.

"What's that?" Jacob asked, like a curious child.

"It's for Buford." Renee answered, not making eye contact. "A long time ago when I was just a toddler, I had to go to ze hospital for surgery. I was naturally scared, but one of ze nurses gave me a teddy bear, and it surprisingly made me feel better. I know we can't do much for Buford right now, but I figured zis might make him feel better."

"What a great idea, Renee! What a great idea!" Gently taking the stuffed animal from her hands, Jacob walked over and put it in Buford's arms. As if on instinct, he grabbed the teddy bear and hugged it close to him, a slight smile on his face.

It warmed both of their hearts to see Buford smile again, even if it was only a tiny one. However, it was getting late, so it was only natural that they started to head home.

Before they walked out of the door, Jacob gave one last passing glance to Buford, still snuggling the bear.

"See ya, Buford. Get well soon."

Renee, on the other hand, started to head to the bathroom, motioning for Jacob to follow. "Come on, we should wash up before we leave. I don't want to catch what Buford has, and I doubt you do eizer."

Jacob shuddered as he imagined being in Buford's position. The poor dude was going through a nightmare that he might not be able to get out of. At least it was painless, thanks to the painkillers.

But Jacob had an aching feeling that no matter how powerful the painkillers were, they wouldn't be able to block everything, and he was sure Buford was suffering in some way or form.

Though he was also sure that when asked about it, Buford would pretend that 'It was nothing', and act like everything was okay. That was the one thing Jacob didn't like about Buford, and he was sure Renee felt the same way. Buford always treated everything like it was a joke, especially when it came to his health, and ironically that was the reason they were here in the first place, because Buford didn't know when to quit and take a breather.

But, he didn't blame Buford for everything. He also blamed himself as well. If he had forced Buford to go home instead of letting him stay, when he knew he was sick, maybe they wouldn't be here. Maybe they'd be at Buford's house helping him recover the normal way, and not watching him slowly become closer to death with each breath that escaped his lips.

Parting from Renee at the hospital parking lot, he began the long walk back to his house. Unlike the usual Friday evening, where he'd engage in his siblings' antics, today, he didn't feel like doing that. He felt like he was on autopilot, barely managing to let his parents know the full details of what happened.

He told them beforehand that Buford got sent to the hospital and that he was going to visit him, but not exactly why, because then, he didn't know. He expected they'd be disappointed in him for not doing anything, perhaps a self-deprecating part of him wanted them to be.

But instead, they were sympathetic over the situation, telling him that he didn't know how sick Buford really was and that he tried to help his friend, but in the end, they didn't want help to begin with.

Despite the loving words from his parents, Jacob didn't feel any better, perhaps worse, a nagging part deep within telling him that if Buford died, it'd all be his fault.

Unable to handle all these conflicting thoughts that were giving him a headache, Jacob decided to just go to bed, even though it was 7. Perhaps a good night's sleep could cast away these bad feelings he had.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, or even when he woke up, but Jacob found himself at the Hospital's entrance once again. He walked slowly and carefully up to the reception desk, and the same receptionist from before was there as if she had been waiting for him.

As soon as their eyes locked, he felt the entire mood around him change into something that felt a lot more cold and distant. Granted, he'd been feeling weird ever since he got here, but now he felt a crippling sense of dread.

"I'm sorry," The receptionist finally said, gazing into Jacob's eyes. "I'm afraid Buford isn't here anymore."

"What? What?!" Jacob cried out, his voice thick with disbelief. Buford couldn't be dead, right? He… He must have gotten discharged! Without waiting for the receptionist to say anything else he started running to the hospital rooms. He expected someone to try to stop him, but nobody did.

"I need to see Buford." Jacob said to himself, shaking his head. Room 2-2, room 2-2, where was it? Wait, there it was. Stopping abruptly, he felt himself drift across the squeaky clean floor. Regaining his balance, he ran back to the door that belonged to 2-2.

Instead of the apprehensiveness that he had just yesterday, he threw open the door, nearly breaking it off its hinges. Inside, he saw the same doctors from before, talking to each other in the same weird language they were the other day. Looking right, he expected to see Buford, even if the boy was still looking miserable.

However, he saw an empty bed, the ruffled covers indicating that someone had been there previously, that someone being Buford. Where was he? He had to have been discharged, he had to!

"Buford…?" Was all Jacob could mutter out, catching the attention of the two doctors. They both became sympathetic when they looked at him.

"He died around eight-thirty last night. You know, for someone as sick as him, he looked mostly at peace when he passed. He was holding this-" The first doctor said, holding up the same teddy bear from before. "With a smile on his face. Who knew such things could bring so much joy?"

Jacob couldn't believe it, as if the entire world was crumbling around him. He once again took off running, not looking where he was going. He didn't care, why should he? His best friend was dead and all he did was sit and watch. You're a failure, Two-Two.

Reaching a corner, he buckled down and started to cry, tears streaming down his face, not caring who saw. All the while, he heard Buford's voice, taunting him. "Jacob…"

"No, no! Go away, go away!" He cried even harder, swatting at the air. "Jacob…"

That time the voice sounded less like Buford and more like-

"Jacob!"

Before he knew it, he was back in his bedroom, his father by his bedside. It didn't take rocket science to figure out nothing that just happened was actually real and that Buford was still alive.

"What happened?" He groaned, asking his father. Morty put his arm around his son in a hug-like way. "I was just going to the bathroom when I heard you whimpering and crying. Did you have a nightmare?"

Jacob simply nodded, unsure of how else to respond. "Let me guess, it was about Buford, wasn't it? You dreamed he actually died, I'm assuming."

"How did you know?" Jacob asked, curious about how his father was able to read him like an open book. "Dads have a knack for these kinds of things, along with bad jokes."

Jacob just sighed, distracted by the memory of his dream and the thought of it turning into a reality. He really, really didn't want to lose his friend, if that wasn't obvious by this point.

But again, he felt helpless, and at the same time, he felt like he was the one who could decide if Buford was going to live or if he was going to die. Despite not wanting to feel guilty, that's all he could feel right now. The crushing weight of guilt was weighing down on him, and Jacob didn't know how to relieve himself of it.

"What did I do? What did I do?!" Jacob asked his father. "Actually, let me rephrase that. What did BUFORD do to deserve this?! Nothing! The answer is nothing! The innocent boy has done nothing wrong, yet he's being punished anyways! Why?"

Morty didn't know how to respond. Sure, he knew the answer to Jacob's question, but it wasn't exactly easy telling your child that life simply works that way, especially when their best friend is in the hospital fighting for their life at that very moment.

"I… I don't know, Jacob. Life is very random in the way it works, and sometimes it feels things happen without reason. But make no mistakes, there's always a reason, even if we just can't see it yet."

Jacob absentmindedly stared at the ground, taking in his father's advice. "I guess, It's just, oh I don't know, I've been kinda blaming myself for this. I know you said not to, but I can't help it!"

"Oh, Jacob, there was nothing you have done, honestly! It isn't your job to protect him, you're not his guardian angel or anything! You can only truly help people if they want your help to begin with.

Jacob hugged his father in response. "Thanks dad."

"Anytime, kiddo. Now, try and get some sleep. You know, you can always sleep with us if you want."

"I'll be fine."

"Night."

"Night, dad."

Jacob laid back down and shut his eyes, falling back into an uneasy sleep. However, thankfully, unlike the last time, it was completely dreamless. If there were any dreams, they weren't upsetting enough for him to remember them.

Eventually, morning finally came around, for real this time, and Jacob wasted no time in getting ready to go and check up on Buford. Grabbing and putting on his coat, he ran out the door, not waiting for anything. Renee would meet up with him at the hospital, and they'd see how Buford was doing, hopefully in a better state than yesterday, and most certainly not dead. Buford wouldn't be dead, that was just a silly nightmare, wasn't it? Of course it was.

However, the memories were still fresh in his mind, and he knew that going to the hospital would only make them resurface. He had to face his fears, though, and show the world what he was made of. Jacob increased his speed into a rather brisk jog-like prance, trying to think about literally anything that didn't involve Buford, hospitals or doctors. That was easier said than done, because whether he liked it or not, Buford was very involved in his life.

He was shaking when he ran into Renee in the front of the hospital, and he didn't know whether that was because he was freezing, or because of the horrifying anxiety he had.

"You look awful, Jacob! No offense." Renee muttered, eyeing the boy up and down. "Did you get any sleep at all, last night?"

"No good sleep. Horrible nightmarey bad sleep."

"Oh." Came her simple response. She wasn't exactly an emotional or overbearing kind of person and Jacob just had to accept that. "Uh… hopefully, you'll have better sleep tonight zen?"

"Hopefully." He grunted, before looking back up at her. "Any news on Buford?"

She let out a slightly offended scoff. "I just got here too, you know. He's probably still cuddling zat teddy bear, sick out of his mind! Speaking of which, we should probably go inside now."

"Yeah, before we get sick too," Jacob mused. "Buford doesn't need both of us getting sick as well."

Inside, they walked over to the reception counter, this time there was a different receptionist. "Names?"

Jacob nodded, though slightly confused. "Jacob Two-"

"Jacob Two-Two and Mrs. Renee, is that correct?"

Jacob nodded, though he was slightly confused now."How did you know, how did you know?!

"Well," The receptionist clicked something on their computer. "We keep files of everything around here. While the usual lady might be out today, I'm more than capable to push a couple of buttons and doo-dahs. We know everyone who comes in, and everyone who comes out, whether they're a patient, doctor or visitor. Now, you can take a seat in the waiting room and the doctor will be with you shortly."

Jacob gave a thumbs up, though a little creeped out now. Without wasting any time, the two made their way over to the waiting room once more. While Jacob was content waiting in silence, Renee had a question burning on her mind. "So, what was ze nightmare about? If you don't mind telling me, zat is."

"Aw man, do I gotta? Do I gotta?!" Jacob groaned, putting his hand on his temple. He really did not want to think about it, let alone talk about it. However, seeing Renee's expectant look, he realized he probably didn't have a say in the matter.

"Of course! How do you expect me to be able to help, if you don't even tell me what's wrong?"

"YOU, want to help ME? Help ME?!"

"Zat's what friends are for, non?"

Jacob half-heartedly nodded, they were friends, so naturally, she'd want to help him. However, it was ironic that back a while ago, the two would gag at the idea of being 'friends', and now they were pretty much the best of friends. Maybe not the best, but friends that could always count on one another.

"Alright, alright, fine, I'll tell you." Jacob let out a depressed sigh, as his mind replayed the memory over. "Buford… died. But that's not all that happened. The doctors had the teddy bear we gave him and said he died cuddling it and smiling. And... And-"

Jacob couldn't finish, as he began to tear up once again, the memory too painful for him to handle. But before he could do anything to try and stop the crying, he felt an arm wrap around him. "Zere, zere. You know, if I'm being completely honest, I too had a similar nightmare last night."

"Really?" Jacob managed to hiccup out.

"Affirmative. Zough, I zink my nightmare was scarier zan yours."

"Was not! Was not!" Jacob pouted, though he did miss Renee's teasing, which was absent in some of their most recent conversations. "Alright, since you think you're the queen of nightmares, what was YOUR nightmare about?"

"Well, it was razer depressing, for starters." Renee stated, shaking her head in an attempt to not tear up like Jacob did. "I don't remember much of it, zankfully, but I remember being at his grave, all alone. I also remember blaming myself for what happened, as if I caused it."

"Was I there?"

"Non. I was all alone, in ze unsettling cold, staring at a reminder of what used to be."

"Huh, maybe you did have the scarier nightmare. More depressing for sure."

They were interrupted when the doctor arrived, face somber once again, but not nearly as grim as Jacob had been expecting. Maybe that meant things were still bad, but they'd be okay! He sure hoped so. He didn't know what he'd do if his nightmares were prophetic.

"Ah, I expected you two again," he greeted them. "Your friend survived the night, however, he-"

"Thank goodness," Jacob sighed. Maybe things were starting to look up?

"He is greatly fighting. We discovered an unrelated infection in his legs, and unfortunately, coupled with the pneumonia, his body can't fight off both at the same time, and that means we will have to ampu-"

"What? Zis is impossible!"

The doctor, to his credit, seemed to take the interruptions in stride. "It's really just a string of bad coincidences. Between the time these things were left untreated and the rather rough season for sickness anyway, it's simply misfortune. If you'd like, you may head in to see him before the proce-"

The two kids sprinted off before he could finish.

"I should really look into getting a better career."

Without waiting, the two burst into Buford's hospital room, ready to comfort him if needed. However, instead of a distraught friend, what they found only complexed them even more.

Buford was indeed awake, however, he was not in the state of being that they were used to. He was sitting up in the hospital bed, staring at his hands, as if he didn't know what they were.

"Buford?" Jacob called out, catching the attention of the boy. However, it wasn't the normally friendly gaze he was used to, but rather an emotionless and blank stare.

"He's out of it." Renee muttered as if disappointed she didn't get to talk quite right with him. "Jacob, we should just go."

"He's still our friend, and this is a big thing, a big thing!" Jacob replied. "We should be here for him as long as we can."

"He has no idea what's going on, I mean just look at him!" She pointed to Buford, who was giggling nonsensically.

"At least he's happy, right? Hey, buddy, we're here, we're here, alright?" Buford only giggled even louder in response, five seconds from just about breaking into hysterics.

"What's so funny?" Renee asked, cocking her head to the side. He just kept laughing as a child would, barely noticing they were there.

"I don't think he can really comprehend what's going on. But that's okay! We're gonna be here for him, no matter what! Even if he does laugh at literally nothing." Jacob said, before thinking. "Maybe he can see something we can't?"

"Like what?" Renee asked, suspiciously.

"I don't know!"

"Jacob, zis is what heavy medication does to you," Renee muttered. "It'll be better if we just leave and come back when he's not so… insane. Zen, we can actually hold a decent conversation wiz him, instead of whatever zis is."

"You heard what the doctor said, right?"

"Yes, I heard him, Two-Two. Why?"

"Buford's gonna lose… the next time we see him, he won't be… whole. He's gonna lose his legs! His legs!"

Renee sighed. "Yes, I know, I'm upset too, but we have to remain strong for Buford. Even if…"

She trailed off, tearing up slightly. "It'll be a pain to break it to him, he'll be destroyed. But, I feel we'd be ze best people to tell him."

"If he understands what we're saying…." Jacob murmured, falling silent, and Buford's wild giggles filled the room once more.

Renee nodded glumly. "I'm sure zat he'll be in a more… stable... condition when we see him again. Whatever drugs he's on will eventually wear off. And once he doesn't need zem, well, he'll be back to his normal self, which is surprisingly more tolerable. Can you believe it? I miss ze old Buford!"

"I do too, Renee, I do too."

The two spent a couple more minutes watching Buford as his laughing fit slowly died down and he fell asleep. "Well, I zink it's time, don't you?"

Jacob sighed. "I suppose you're right."

They made their way back to the waiting room, where the doctor was waiting for them. After some nervewracking silence, Jacob took in a deep breath.

"We're ready."

"Alright then. I'm sorry this is how it has to be, but it will be fine. I promise." The doctor reassured them and left to prepare Buford for the surgery. Jacob and Renee sat there together for a while, not really talking or doing much of anything. They just spent a few moments enjoying each other's company.

Accepting the future changes together.

The two eventually fell asleep, side by side, in complete silence. When the doctor came back to check on them, his heart nearly melted at the sight and he felt awful about having to wake them up. They both looked so peaceful.

However, he knew they'd prefer the news of how the surgery went way more than any kind of sleep. They had to get up at some point, anyway.

So he began to rustle them lightly, hoping to awaken them without being too rough.

"No, Marfa, I didn't do it…" Jacob muttered, half-awake. Renee immediately woke up, watching the spectacle that was Jacob Two-Two.

"No…" Jacob groaned, shielding his eyes from the bright light. "Can't go into the light…"

"Jacob." Renee groaned. "You're in a hospital, remember?"

"Oh, right." Suddenly Jacob's eyes snapped open, fully awake. "Buford! How is he, how is he?"

"The surgery WAS a complete success, but as you know, he no longer has his legs. He will most likely make a smooth recovery, but he has a long road to travel before he will be alright."

"Can we at least see him?" Jacob asked, itching to go see his friend, whether he was still high on painkillers or not.

The doctor solemnly nodded without saying so much as a word. Instead of racing away like beforehand, they slowly got up from their chairs, nervous to see the 'new' but most certainly not improved, Buford.

Walking into his room for the third time since he was admitted, they didn't know what to expect. Whether it was a sobbing and clearly distraught Buford clutching what remained of his legs, or a totally high and slaphappy Buford, it would be a total surprise.

However, instead of either, the young 13-year old was seen sound asleep, clutching the hospital blanket. Jacob and Renee couldn't help but 'daww' at the scene, trying to avoid looking at his 'legs' fidgeting under the covers.

"He looks so cute, Renee, he looks so cute!" Jacob squealed.

"I do admit a sleeping Buford IS pretty cute."

Buford was starting to become more subconsciously antsy, shifting and twisting even more. Slowly but surely, he began to awaken, sitting upright and rubbing his head. "Aw geez, my head. What… What happened? We were at school, and now I'm… Where exactly am I? Is this a hotel? You know, my Uncle Bob works at a hotel and-"

He didn't get the chance to finish before Jacob and Renee threw him into a group hug. Jacob couldn't help but smile, happy to be with the REAL version of his friend again. "You're okay, you're okay!"

"Oui, it is nice to see you're okay, Buford. Also, you're in the hospital." Renee put the last part of the sentence as blunt as she could.

"Oh! That explains why the lights are so bright and why… why I have no feeling below the knees… Wait…" Buford's face scrunched into one of confusion and panic, while Jacob, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to tell his best friend that he'd never be able to walk on his own again.

"Buford, you were REALLY sick. REALLY sick." He began, as Renee nodded in the background.

"I was?"

"Yes! And-And the doctors had to do something to save your life."

"Where are you going with this?" Buford began to suspiciously glare at Jacob as if he was somehow beginning to catch on.

"They… They had to remove your legs!" Jacob cried out, managing to not say it twice, as he usually did when he was stressed out. Buford, on the other hand, simply blinked slowly, as if taking everything in. "What."

"I'm not joking, I'm not!" Jacob attempted to console his friend, but the right words simply couldn't come to his mind. "You have to be joking, Jacob."

Renee simply looked to the side. "It's true, he's not joking. I don't know what else to tell you, Buford."

"No, no, no!" Without waiting, Buford threw the sheets off, though what stared back at him only confirmed his worst nightmare. As he looked at what remained of his legs, a look of pure terror and despair crossed his face, his heterochromatic blue and green eyes bristling with tears.

As the tears began to fall down Buford's face, Jacob didn't know what to do to comfort his friend. He reached in for another hug, though Buford just slumped against his chest, heaving sobs spilling from him.

"It's… It's all my fault…" Buford hiccuped out, looking at Jacob with complete misery written in his eyes.

"Zat is complete nonsense, Buford!" Renee said, her voice rising slightly. "Whatever made you zink zat?!"

"Well…" Buford choked out. "If I told you I was sick with… what was I sick with again?"

"Pneumonia." Jacob answered, his voice soft.

"Pneumonwhatever, then maybe I wouldn't have needed to go to the hospital and…" Buford couldn't finish his sentence, continuing to sob into Jacob's chest, who simply hugged him back in response.

"It wasn't your fault." Renee whispered, trying not to cry as well.

"W-What makes you say t-that?"

"Well, you never had pneumonia, before right?"

"I suppose not, but…"

"You never felt zat bad before, so how would you know how sick you actually were?"

Buford thought for a second. What she said did make sense, but it was hard to shake off the guilt he felt for making everyone worry about him like that.

"Renee's right," Jacob said, taking in a shaky breath. "We just want you to be more aware of your health, you know? You suffered a lot, a lot! We… We almost lost you."

"Oh." Was all Buford could muster out, still reeling from the fact he no longer had legs. Though his tears had stopped, he couldn't help but think of everything that would change, all the things that he took for granted. He might've never been that good at skateboarding, but now he simply wouldn't be able to at all, or do pretty much anything fun for that matter.

However, despite the worry in his mind, Jacob's words seem to soothe him, telling him that no matter what, his friends would be right by his side, ready to help him. Despite the challenges ahead, at least he knew he wouldn't be alone.

"I'm… sorry for making you worry so much." He finally replied, looking Jacob in the eye.

"It's okay, Buford, we're just glad that you're okay. You've been in too much pain these past few days, and I think I can say for all of us that we're glad it's over, right Renee?" Renee gave a quick nod and thumbs up.

"Thanks, Jacob, though I'm not sure if it'll be easy to get used to being in a wheelchair."

"Buford," Renee groaned. "You're not paralyzed, you can get proszetics."

"Oh! That makes it so much easier! I guess I just got the two mixed up!"

"How do you-" Renee began, before realizing that this was Buford they were talking about. "Oh, forget it!"

The three continued to talk to each other, telling Buford everything he missed, and how ridiculous he was acting. On the other hand, Buford was still coming to grips with his new reality but had a feeling everything would be okay, even if it took a while.

It would all be okay.


End file.
